


work on that alibi of yours

by exceed



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Canon, Violence, can't believe i made this in like 3-4 hours, mostly - Freeform, on shadow weaver's part, shadow weaver is horrible and abusive, to train adora, tough love by shadow towards adora
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 04:25:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16757905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exceed/pseuds/exceed
Summary: Adora was never raised to be a princess. She was raised to be many things- soldier, fighter, warrior, strategist- but never a princess.Shadow Weaver has her own version of love in her mind when she trains her found child.





	work on that alibi of yours

**Author's Note:**

> fucking dammit i'm doing nano and i'm 93k in but i binged this show last night and today and THIS HAPPENED. i might do more she ra fics but ONLY AFTER I FINISH THE LONGFIC IM DOING FOR ANOTHER FANDOM AAAAAA
> 
> anyways. this may be adora/catra, you can see that if you want to. i don't mind either way i just wanted to get SOMETHING out  
> fuck shadow weaver
> 
> fun fact: working title was "she-ra because im dumb and gay"
> 
> actual title is from alibi by dessa

Adora was never raised to be a princess.

Rather, she was raised to fight. To be strong. To not bow under pressure no matter how hard the shadows tried to push her down. Her time was spent darting to the side, kicking forwards, punching, spinning a staff as she grinned at her opponent.

Adora was raised with the utmost of expectations laid upon her.

It was frowned upon to not meet them.

But- she had a friend. Or, rather, an ally. Friends weren’t to Shadow Weaver’s liking. An ally that helped her, gave her a hand, covered for her when she needed it. Of course, she did the same. She wouldn’t be an ally if she didn’t.

“Cover for me for the next hour, Adora,” her ally whispered one day, seven and bright-eyed as she took her comrade’s hand. “I need to go get something. If Shadow Weaver comes-”

“I’ll think of something, Catra,” she whispered back. “You can count on me.”

An alibi, of sorts.

When Shadow Weaver came, she was reading a Horde-approved book, fingers tracing over a picture before she flipped the page. A history of the Horde’s valiant reclaiming of land stolen by the princesses. Bah. They’d get it all back, some day.

The shadows curled around her feet quickly, almost impatient in their manner. Adora looked up and blinked innocently, slipping quickly off of her mattress and standing to attention. “Shadow Weaver, ma’am,” she said quickly, smiling and bowing a bit after her little salute. “Do you need anything?”

“Where is the girl?” Her voice crept at the edges of her hearing, quiet and loud and shattering all at the same time.

“Do you mean Catra?” She blinked, wide-eyed as she tilted her head. “Oh, Catra’s been a bit sick, lately. She’s gone to the infirmary- she should be back soon, though, if you need her for anything. She’ll be in time for training no matter what, ma’am.”

A face peered at her from behind a mask. Shadows enveloped her, separating her from the rest of the room. The other children in there- well, she couldn’t hear them now. Adora stayed at attention as Shadow Weaver leaned in closer.

“Is everything alright?” Adora’s tone was just on the wrong line between polite and rude. She could see those eyes narrow.

“Mind your manners, Adora,” she murmured, a hand reaching out to cup her face. “It is unbecoming of you to speak in that way, my dear. Do remember it in the future.”

“Shadow Weaver, ma’am!”

Her menacing figure stopped leaning over Adora, blinking and straightening before the shadows quickly swept away. In their place was Catra, perfectly at attention. Her ears flicked side to side. Her tail lashed back and forth. Adora winced and jumped in before anything else could be said.

“It’s nice to see that you’re back from the infirmary,” she interjected, smiling wide when Catra’s eyes glanced at her. A half-second’s pause. An ear twitch in response. She knew now.

“Sorry, Shadow Weaver,” Catra apologized, bowing deep and making a slight sniffling noise as she stood back up straight, rubbing at her nose. “I just- I didn’t want to get the others sick before training tomorrow. You need me for anything?”

A long pause. Those shadows seemed to lash out, discontented and searching for...something.

“No,” Shadow Weaver eventually said, form straightening, shadows reined back in as she started to leave the room. “...No, nothing. ...Do not be sick tomorrow.”

Neither of them moved again until she was gone.

Chatter returned to the room, quiet and slow as Adora gave a long exhale, Catra grinning and plopping herself down right at the foot of Adora’s mattress.

“Thanks, pal,” she laughed, fishing something out of her pocket and showing it to her. “How cool is this?” Adora blinked, long and slow, and eyed the object in front of her as she sat down.

“...It’s a box.”

“No dummy, it’s a music box. Look- you just press this button on top, and…”

The quiet sounds of music filtered out of the thing. Wide-eyed, Adora picked it up- turned it around-

“Where’s the music coming from? This is so amazing! Is there any way it could record more music? Or make more?”

“It’s coming from inside,” Catra said, puffing out her chest in pride and beaming at her. “I saw someone carrying it around the other day and I just had to get it from them.”

“...Stealing?”

“Reacquiring,” Catra corrected with a snort, leaning back and watching it just...play. “Not like he had any use for it, anyways, yeah?”

“You should give it back,” she mumbled half-heartedly, but…

“Nah. It’s too cool. Besides, you like it, buddy.”

“Not buddies. Allies. Comrades.”

“Whatever suits you,” Catra muttered. “I owe you one, though. Hey. has Shadow Weaver been tough on you lately? You’ve seemed...more tired than normal.”

“She wants me to come in for extra training,” Adora groaned, the air quotes clear in her voice as she flopped totally onto the mattress. “I’m not fast enough, according to her. Why can’t I be as fast as you?”

“You’re not a cat,” Catra laughed, flicking her nose before pressing the button on the box. The music just...stopped.

She eyed it suspiciously.

“I wish I was like you,” she murmured, but- “How did you...that circle? Button?”

“Yep. I bet it doesn’t last forever, though, so let’s just use it when we need it. It’s pretty cool, so...maybe for when we’re not feeling that great?”

Adora eyed it. “...It’s yours, I guess. Use it whenever you want.”

Catra’s delighted grin was stuck in her memory for years.

* * *

Adora was never raised to be a princess, a friend, a helper.

Her friendship- for now she could tell what it was, she had been deceiving herself before- was weakening her, but it made her stronger, too. But- Shadow Weaver didn’t like it. Nobody did. Nobody seemed to approve of the way they paired off together, facing against the rest of the world-

And Shadow Weaver made her disapproval known.

Catra grew mouthier, tail lashing more, always toeing the edge of disrespect. Adora- tried to stay away from that line.

She was the subject of tough love, though, and there was no chance for Catra to help out when Shadow Weaver spirited her away after training, looking pleased...but there was nothing but a scowl on her face after the door to her chamber closed.

“You must do better, Adora,” she murmured, turning her back to her so that she could stare at the crystal in the center of the room. “You are disappointing me. You have grown slow again.” She was eleven, now. Fear of what disappointment would cause had made her speedier, stronger, wittier- but it seemed like with improvement that she wanted more, more, more.

Adora was so tired.

“I’ve been getting better,” she tried, clenching her hands into fists as she watched Shadow Weaver paced. “I’ve been doing well, Shadow Weaver, I-”

“Silence!” A hand snapped out. Shadows covered her mouth, holding on tight no matter how much she tried to tear it off. Shadow Weaver’s back was still to her. “I do not want backtalk, Adora.”

Quiet reigned as she slowly spun back around, the same hand raising up to rest on the red runestone. “I took you in and raised you as my own,” she started, slow and soft. “You were such a good little girl, Adora, until you found her.”

She didn’t have to ask her to clarify. Adora stood very, very still.

“So good at training. Getting faster, stronger every day...I had thought that your recent...drops in performance were caused by Catra’s presence.” Shadow Weaver sighed. “It seems that it is a more serious problem than I thought, my dear. This is purely...you.”

Good. Catra wouldn’t- wait. What?

She tried to speak. The shadows still bound her, tight and strong.

“You are such a promising individual. Were, perhaps. We must take...measures so that you learn the value of training. You have been slacking off, lately, and that has shown in daily activities. I have taken it upon myself to teach you how much it means for a promising life- and you will learn, Adora. You will.”

A finger reached out to tap her on the nose lightly before she stepped back and pressed her hand to the crystal again. “Just remember that I am doing this because I love you, Adora,” she murmured. “Now- dodge until you learn.”

A black-and-red bolt shot out at her quickly, fast and sudden as she startled and jumped to the side. She stared at the damage it left- Shadow Weaver waved it off as she looked back at her, though.

“Nothing a little work can’t fix,” she remarked blandly. “Now. Let us continue.”

She threw a bolt and she dodged, dodged, dodged- but now and again she’d get hit, spasm, fall, scrambling to the side before the next one hit her.

Just tough love, she thought faintly, heart sinking as one projectile cut at her, scratches forming along her arms, sides, legs- even her face.

Just tough love.

She was already so tired.

* * *

“Adora? _Adora!_ ”

Someone was hissing her name. Who…

Who was it?

She groaned, stretching despite the pain that made her body spasm, curling back up before opening her eyes to meet two differently colored ones. They were so concerned, blinking wildly down at her as she made a little whining sound.

Everything hurt.

When she echoed that thought, Catra seemed to nearly blow up, her face dark and stormy. “No shit,” she hissed, ears flat as she looked down at her. “You- you look so bad, Adora! What even happened to you?”

“Training,” she whispered, almost moving a bit before some of that magic came back, causing her to spasm once more.

She was on fire. Everything hurt so, so badly- Adora’s limbs were on fire, each second making her nearly scream more in their barracks. Catra’s hand on her mouth was so, so tight- but it was enough so that none of the others in the room woke up.

“I’m going to kill Shadow Weaver,” Catra said, almost vibrating with pure anger before she deflated and shifted around, letting Adora’s head rest in her lap. She sighed at the comfort- Catra’s hands, claws retracted, slowly combing through her hair. “I’m going to kill her for fucking you up so badly.”

“I’ll be fine,” she whispered. “Don’t- don’t say that in front of her, Catra. Those are bad. Bad words.”

“I know, Adora.” Those fingers through her hair were soft, each pass through the hair gentle, relaxed. “You look so bad. I...I don’t even know how to explain it.”

“Try.”

“Half of your skin is- is black and blue. You...you keep making these really weird spasms...you have cuts all over. She did a number on you! I thought you were her favorite? What did you do? That- that couldn’t’ve been training. She’s never done that badly on me.”

“Wasn’t improving enough,” she rasped out after the shakes subsided, after she could just breathe for a minute or two without anything happening. “It. It really was training, Catra. She wanted me to be faster. We went until...until I got fast.”

Had it been until she had gotten fast enough? Adora- tried to remember.

“...Maybe not,” she admitted. “I think I blacked out after one really hard hit. I was too slow. The fact is that I’m still bad. Really bad. I need to train more, Catra, even when we have our rest periods. Could you help me with speed?”

“That’s fucked up!”

“Catra!”

“That’s- messed up,” she amended, practically radiating fury. “You need to-”

“I need to train,” Adora said over her, wincing and pausing to let a shake, a spasm run its course. “I need to train, I need to get better, faster, stronger...It’s just tough love, I think, Catra. She wants me to get better. She’s helping me, she really is…”

Catra was shaking. She could feel it.

“...What’s wrong?”

“A lot of stuff is,” Catra muttered. “Shadow Weaver most of all. You’re...terrified of failing her. No, don’t even try to argue with me. A lot of us are. But...why didn’t she think it was me that was doing anything? Usually she just gets mad at me for something minor I do regarding you and then it’s just...pain.”

Silence on her own end. After a soft click, music started to play. Adora smiled despite the pain.

“But this- this is just _wrong_ , Adora.”

She didn’t see it. Shadow Weaver was helping her improve, helping her...deal with everything. Catra was there to help her whenever she got a bit too roughed up by her training.

It might hurt, but it would be worth it in the end.

“I’ll be fine,” she murmured. “Don’t worry about me. Just...if she comes looking for me and I’m not here, say I’m training, okay?”

Catra’s hands stilled in her hair.

“...Okay, Adora,” Catra eventually whispered. “I’ll make sure you’re accounted for.”

She fell asleep with her head in Catra’s lap, lulled to sleep by music and warm hands picking up their movements, content to keep everything the way that it was going. Shadow Weaver only had her best interests at heart, after all.

Catra, above her, seethed all night long.

* * *

The music box was playing again.

“You still have that old thing?” Fifteen, nearly sixteen, now, Adora leaned against their bunk, smiling at Catra who was staring at the device in her hands. She was on the top bunk- an absolute rarity, really.

“Yeah,” Catra said, yawning and setting it down as it continued to play upbeat, cheery string music. A vibrant melody that seemed unbefitting of their room. “Pretty ancient now, I guess. Still plays like a charm, though. Battery doesn’t seem like it’ll die any time soon- if it has a battery, that is. Hell if I know.”

“Language,” Adora said half-heartedly, yawning and resting her head against the mattress. Seconds later, almost as if by magic-

“Adora, have you been off training again? 24/7?”

She mumbled something that was similar to a denial. Catra wasn’t buying it.

“Stop that shit,” she hissed. “You’ve been relaxed for a while. What gives? I just got you to chill for once!”

Adora made an iffy noise, shaking her head from where it rested on the mattress.

“The fuck? Shadow Weaver got pissy again, or something?”

A slow nod. Catra made some sort of sound between a hiss and a groan.

“To hell with her and her ‘tough love’,” she grumbled, eyes dark despite the cheery background music. Adora gave some kind of a vague humming noise. “What’s that, Adora? Is that a question or words or just some noise?”

“Just some noise,” Adora mumbled. “I’m tired.”

“I wonder why,” Catra said dryly, flicking her head and rolling her eyes. “She schedule some meeting with you so that she can ‘train’ you more? And by train I mean beat you up and make you feel like you have to up your game until you’re running yourself ragged?”

“It’s helping me. Let’s not have this argument again, Catra.”

“Let’s not have this argument again, Catra. Let’s not talk about the way the lady who’s basically our mother can beat us both up, and even beats up her favorite child more just because of some messed up ‘love’. That’s bullshit, Shadow Weaver can just-”

“Can just _what?_ ”

Catra spooked, jumping up in the air and hitting her head on the wall before hissing at Shadow Weaver’s appearance. Seconds later, though, both of them were fully on the ground and saluting, the music box swiftly silenced on Catra’s way down.

“Nothing’s happening here other than me not liking the way you beat Adora up for training,” Catra said stiffly, ears turned downwards as she looked straight at Shadow Weaver. “You could actually be a decent person once and train so that she’s not half-dead when she gets back-”

“Be quiet, fool,” Shadow Weaver barked, magic storming out of her until Catra was frozen, pain jumping throughout her body. “Despite your ugly lying words- I did not come for you. I came for Adora.” The word was spoken like a loving touch, soft and comforting. Adora perked up, a smile playing across her face.

_Maybe she approves now. Maybe-_

“Your skills require more work than I thought for the examination in three months. Come, Adora...we must get you ready. At least with my help you will make the cut, unlike this whelp that clings to your side. Off you go. I will be with you soon.”

Adora glanced at Catra-

“No. I must have a word with her first. Go.”

She booked it, an uncomfortable set to her shoulders as she walked away, a voice fading behind her.

“Don’t you _dare_ speak like that again, you ungrateful little cat, speaking about training that you should be falling on your knees to try and get-”

Adora kept going, gritting her teeth at a choked off scream that echoed seconds later.

She- she had training to do.

Lots of training.

Catra stayed on her mind, even as she ducked below a bolt ten minutes later, tried to get closer to Shadow Weaver, managed to jump above the next one-

_(Maybe Shadow Weaver would offer Catra training if Adora pleaded enough, maybe that was why Catra was objecting, why she seemed uncomfortable when Adora wanted to make sure she’d tell Shadow Weaver that she was training in the gym, maybe she wanted something like that too-)_

Adora learned her mistake seconds later when she fell to the next strike, shaking before scrambling back from the next blow.

She shouldn’t think of others, especially Catra, while training. Or fighting. Or dodging.

She would learn. She had to.

* * *

What Shadow Weaver- what the Horde was doing was so, so wrong.

How could she have been so foolish?

How was Adora just realizing this now, just as a village was burning down, just as the Horde itself...just as it came to destroy this peaceful area?

Had she been training for this? To kill? To destroy?

She looked down at her hands, grimacing softly, and looked back at the carnage, at everyone...fleeing for their lives. Glimmer and Bow were helping them away, but- but-

Adora had to do _something._

She straightened, remembered the lessons her own almost-mother had given her _(keep yourself light, Adora, predict the attacks before they come, always be the stronger one)_ and rose to face her true enemy.

* * *

It started like this: with two friends- allies- partners- facing off across a battlefield, a sword in one’s hands and a stun baton in the other’s.

It started with a pained soul pleading for the other to see reason- _she wasn’t training me out of love. She was training me because she wanted to use me, wanted to-_

It started with hysterical laughter.

_We all knew that, hun. We knew that for so long, we knew, we knew, Adora, I thought I had told you-_

It ended like this: with two people who had been the closest comrades they knew finally parting ways, the lines drawn deep in the sand.

It ended with tears.

It ended with Adora alone.

* * *

They had always given each other an alibi, arms to come home to- Catra helping Adora when she was hurt and vice versa.

Their touches had gotten ever softer over the years.

It broke Adora’s heart to see Catra go back to where they had been all those years.

_(Perhaps there hadn’t been something there, after all.)_

She hadn’t been raised to be a princess, but she was one anyways- a soldier with a fancy outfit, powers, and a too-stiff posture.

Faintly, she thought of a music box playing.

It only brought her sadness.

**Author's Note:**

> comment if you liked it because it makes my day


End file.
